Simulation E-Book

Tami Veldura

• Herausgeber: Tami Veldura
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Heidi is in a Simulation. She and thousands of hopefuls went to sleep on a ship destined for the stars, but something catastrophic has happened. The ship's AI, Oscar, has downloaded her into a computer, but none of her superiors survived the transition. It's up to Heidi to rescue the ship and its crew from inside the system.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Simulation

About The Author

Copyright

Simulation

By Tami Veldura

You are in a simulation.

The voice jolted Heidi out of sleep and she stumbled awkwardly, vertigo slamming into her head with the force of an elephant. Everything was the same glowing shade of white, which didn't help her sense of attitude, and she thought she might vomit. Except she didn't seem to have a stomach to hold… or hands to hold it with… or a mouth for that matter?

You are in a simulation. The voice repeated, distinctly male and unsympathetic. It was the AI voice of… of... She couldn't remember what it belonged to.

Please remain calm, while I establish an environment.

Heidi abruptly had a body. Hands, feet, a torso. Grass sprouted out of the white nothing and stretched for miles in every direction. A set of mountains appeared in the distance like a child adding stickers to an empty book: trees here, rocks there, flowers.

Heidi fell onto her ass--the grass was cool and crushed gently under her palms--and managed to stutter, "I-I'm agoraphobic!"

The environment shifted abruptly. Her hands suddenly crushed tightly-matted office carpet. A chair and desk popped into existence, fit with holo screens. Four walls, LED lighting, a door. Heidi gathered her feet and spun around slowly.

"Ok. Better. What's going on?"

You are--

"--in a simulation, got that part, thanks." She sat in the desk chair and gave it a test bounce. Oscar. The AI's name was Oscar and it belonged to the colony ship Artemis.

Your body did not respond as expected during reintegration. In order to protect your mind, you have been uploaded to this temporary simulation.

Heidi stopped bouncing. "I didn't respond as expec--I died? I'm dead?" She pinched her thigh, knowing it wasn't real. It still hurt. "Ow, damn," she muttered.

You are not deceased. Life support sustains your body. The reintegration process has been halted to allow time for healing. Expected recovery time: seventy-six years, nine months, four days, two hours, seventeen minutes, thirty-four seconds.

"That is very specific." Heidi blinked. "Wait, seventy-six ye--hold on. Back up. Am I still on the Artemis? I need to speak with Major… Major…" Heidi scowled. "Why can't I remember the Major's name?"

The upload process is ongoing, recent memory will come back to you in--

"Major Taylor!" Heidi snapped her fingers.

Major Taylor did not respond as expected during reintegration. He is deceased.

Heidi's entire body went cold and she stilled in the chair. "What about Lieutenant Colonel Redding?"

Lieutenant Colonel Redding did not respond as ex--

"Colonel Stone?"

Colonel Stone did not respond--

"Major General Takeda?"

Major General Takeda did not--

"Shit. Shit!" Heidi stood up to pace the room. It elongated to accommodate her. If the system had gone down the chain of command and no one survived until her…Heidi wasn't meant to run an entire colony ship. She was a good soldier, a follower. Hell, she liked being told exactly what her assignments were and how to complete them. It made her job simple. This was beginning to sound like the opposite of simple.

What had been their assignment? The Artemis was a colony ship. Logic followed they were to establish a colony. But where?

"What's the status of the Artemis?"